Catching a Scarf
by webeta123
Summary: Never trust your soulmate with an ugly secret AU ANGEL LIVES! Mostly Mark/OC, some mentions of Collins/Angel, MoJo and Roger/Mimi.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here is my very first Rent story. ANGEL LIVES! And here we go!**

"MY SCARF! COME BACK!" Now if Roger Davis had heard this from a complete stranger he would have given them a one-way trip to the loony-bin. Sadly though, he did know this lunatic. He went to the window to find his roommate, Mark Cohen running down Avenue B chasing his blue and white scarf. What happened next went down in the Bohemian's history as the best moment of his life. They helped Mark get his scarf.

A brunette came sprinting up, obviously on a run. She saw Mark running after his scarf and felt compassion for him. She ran faster than him(which is surprising considering that Mark is as small as a stick but could still run fast) and as the scarf came down in a down breeze she caught it in her larger hand. She brushed some of the dust off of it before turning to Mark and wrapping it around his neck. She patted his chest before beginning to sprint off. Mark stood in awe for a moment before someone(coughRogercough) threw a heavy book at him and hit his back. "OW!" The girl turned again before shaking her head in frustration and beginning to sprint again. Mark threw himself out of his amazed shock before sprinting after her. "Hey! Girl! Wait up!" He yelled. The girl stopped before turning and looking at a sweaty Mark. "Woman, you run fast."

"That's sort of the point." The girl said as she plucked at her red track suit. Mark didn't like the turn this conversation had taken.

"Hi I'm Mark." Mark said, trying to restart the conversation. The girl sighed(quite cutely Mark had to add) before also restarting the conversation.

"Hi I'm Delevonta. Most people call me Del because if you call me Delevonta you die."

"That is a good reason." Mark said. Del smiled before looking at the fallen book. She reached down and dusted it off before looking at the open window that Roger was staring out of not-so-subtly. "HEY! GUY WHO TRIED TO KILL MARK! GET YOUR A** DOWN HERE!" Mark's mouth popped open. He desperately tried to keep in the laughs that over took him. Mimi came down and looked ready to kill Del. Del stood her ground, surprising Mark and Mimi. Del's sky eyes bored into Mimi. Even though she wore thick-rimmed glasses that actually highlighted her eyes, she looked all the more intimidating. Mimi stopped in her tracks. "ROGER GET DOWN HERE!" Mimi yelled. Roger rushed down and soon met Del. "Hi, I'm Roger." Roger said.

"Delevonta. But most people call me Del, because if you call me Delevonta you die." She said.

"Cool. So you've met Marky!" Roger exclaimed as he pulled his friend into a headlock. Mark attempted to get some of his dignity back after Roger was done messing up his hair.

"This is my idiot of a roommate, Roger." Mark said with a cheeky grin. Roger pushed Mark back but Mark easily caught himself before he fell onto the concrete below. Then they heard the tell-tale sound of heels on the concrete. All three of them turned to see Angel and Collins coming towards them. Del's mouth fell open when she saw Angel. "Angel?" She asked. Angel looked up at the sound of her name.

"Del?"

"NO WAY!" The two ran towards the other before hugging the other tightly.

"What are you doing here?" Angel asked her long-lost friend.

"I moved here. Avenue C." Del told her. Collins slowly moved his way over to the guy's side of the street.

"Do you have any idea who that is?" He asked the other men.

"That is Del. Full name Delevonta." Roger said.

"But…" Del started.

"You call her that you die." Mark finished by accident. Del looked to Mark in surprise. "Oh sorry. Didn't mean to…"

"Finish your sentence." Del finished. The two looked away from the other and blushed. Angel got a look on her face that only meant one thing: Matchmaking time. She quickly went up to Del and put a friendly arm around her. "So Del, what have you been up too since high school."

"Well I went Santa Fe for a while. Was a waitress at one of the best restaurants ever! Then I came to NYC to try and get some of my photos in a book." She told her.

"You're a photographer?" Mark asked as he caught up to the girls, leaving the boys in the dust.

"Yeah. I mess with nature shots and other things." Del told him.

"Well what a coincidence. Mark here is a filmmaker." Angel said.

"Really?" Del asked.

"Yeah, I film almost every thing. I mostly just film my friends and things that other people just don't notice." Angel slowly snuck away from the two as she made her way back to Collins. The two didn't even notice as they walked back towards the loft. Mark, being a gentlemen, opened the door for Del but forgot his other friends were with them. The door slammed shut on the others as Mark went through. After several choice swear words directed at Mark the rest of the Bohemians went through. One thing was certain in all the Bohemians mind.

Their Marky was in love.

**End Chapter. Tell me what you think. I tried desperately not to make Del a Mary-Sue and please be honest if she looked like one. Also. Reviews are like Mark's scarf! Awesome!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is the next chapter.**

_Delevonta's POV_

I continued to talk to Mark like we were old friends. I found that he was a great listener. He also could crack very funny jokes. We continued to talk about everything we could think of. He told me about his crazy family while I told him about mine. He told me about his mother, who would not stop trying to get him to come 'home' though the fact that NYC was his home. I told him about my really over-protective brother, Damien. I left out a major part but I didn't want to lose Mark like I have before with other friends(or boyfriends I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Mark at this point). He tried to follow me when I attempted to get away from him. I switched buses when he had to go to the bathroom. I then moved to Alphabet City so I could get farther away. I might be fooling myself into thinking that he won't find me but of course its just how I was raised, believe in today. I could never tell anyone what used to happen at my house. I won't let them.

We got back to a small loft that seemed like home for Mark. He stepped over the large extension cord that snaked its way out a window. I jumped over it with ease. He went to the small kitchen and got some food cooking. I leaned against the old counter and found an old camera. I began messing with the knob that seemed to be how it worked. It started turning, which meant it was filming. "Close up on Mark. Who is making ramen noodles." I said, remembering all those documentaries I saw. Mark looked up and saw me holding the camera. He smiled at me and shook his head, making his dark brown hair fly around.

"How did you get a hold of my camera?" He asked me.

"I found it on the table." I said, still filming.

"Okay, now gimme my camera." Mark said as he looked away from the noodles floating in the bubbling pan. I stepped away still filming Mark.

"And if I say no?" I asked. _Am I flirting with him?_ I pushed that thought away as he reached out for his camera. I turned and ran around the apartment with him hot on my heels. I turned the camera so it would be a chase scene. I reached one of the bedrooms then realized there was no window. "Aw man! Dead-end!" I yelled. Mark came up to me before doing the unthinkable. He grabbed me around the waist and kissed me.

_Mark's POV_

No one has ever attempted to keep my camera away from me for more than five seconds. Of course the people who do are my friends and they know by now that my camera is basically an extension of my arm. Now Del has gotten footage of me, which is surprising in itself because I'm usually on the other side of the camera, and stole it. She ran around the loft and into my bedroom, which was a dead-end because it doesn't have a window. I smiled to myself, knowing that she was trapped. "Aw man! Dead-end!" She yelled. She turned to look at me and before I knew what I was doing I was kissing her against the wall. It may have been something in my subconscious that took in her deer-in-headlights look when she saw me come in. Maybe it was her sky blue eyes that looked at me with worry. What surprised me more than anything was that she was actually kissing me back. If all of those books Maureen reads mean anything with the sparks and the angels singing when you kiss your true love or that crap then those authors hit this on the head. And speak of the devil. "MARKY! OMIGOD! HE'S KISSING A GIRL! I TOLD YOU HE WASN'T GAY!" Maureen yelled from behind me. I broke away from Del, who was breathing heavily. If I was true to myself I would say that I was breathing just as heavily. I heard the running of everyone as they made their way to where Maureen was bouncing on her feet. I let Del get away from the wall that I had pinned her against accidentally. She licked her finger and attempted to get some of the lipstick on my lips off. I wiped it off with the back of my hand. She laughed at my attempt. "You're only making it worse!" She yelled at me.

"Ok I have a better idea." I said. I went to my bathroom before shutting it closed, praying that Maureen wouldn't give her the third degree.

**End Chapter. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Nexty Chapter!**

_Maureen's POV_

So I just come to the boy's loft to find everyone out in the living room, looking like they knew a secret that all of them liked. As everyone knows, I hate it when I'm not in on secrets. "Ok what's with the secretey secret smiles?" I ask, getting straight to the point.

"Marky's in loOove." Collins tells me, extending the 'o' .

"No way." Mark still hadn't gotten over _me_. How could he be in love? Our lives had finally reached a norm. Mark would forever lust over me, Joanne would always be my Pookie, Collins and Angel would be the cutesy couple and Roger and Mimi would be the in-love couple. There was no room for differences in my book.

"Way. A girl helped him catch his scarf when it blew off his little neck and they started talking and sometimes finishing each other sentences and left us in the dust." Mimi told me. Finishing sentences? _I_ couldn't figure out what Mark would say! Sometimes he was smart sometimes he was sarcastic. How could this mystery girl know?

"When I got in I heard Del yell something. I think she might have stolen his camera." Roger continued. I got up. No one dared steal Mark's camera, that was my job.

"Does she have a death wish?" I ran to Mark's bedroom hoping not to find a corpse. I slammed to door open to find Mark kissing a girl. Against a wall. The girl's hands were tangled in his hair while his were loosely on her waist. I felt some sort of emotion come over me. Jealousy? "MARKY! OMIGOD! HE'S KISSING A GIRL! I TOLD YOU HE WASN'T GAY!" I yelled to get them to break apart. I heard everyone run in behind me. Mark simply let go of the girl.

As Mark let the girl pass I got a good look at her. About 5'5. Shoulder length brunette hair. Bright blue eyes. Had a red track suit on(which I thought looked very nice, I'd have to ask her where she got it.) and her light red lipstick was smeared. I looked to Mark to find him having a bit of lipstick on his lips also. The girl licked the tips of her fingers before attempting to get some of the lipstick of Mark's lips. Mark ,being difficult, tried to get it off with the back of his hand, which only made it go onto his cheek. The girl laughed at Mark. "You're only making it worse!" She yelled to him. Mark laughed also before smacking her hand away.

"I've got a better idea." He said before going into the bathroom adjacent to his room. I bounced on my feet. I was excited to finally meet this girl who had caught Mark's eye. Everyone else came in as I walked forward.

_Delevonta's POV_

As I watched this girl, who I know remember as Maureen, walk towards me I suddenly felt like a deer being stalked by a lion. It's not a good feeling to tell you the truth. I also remembered Mark telling me about how she dumped him for a girl. Harsh. Also I couldn't understand why she would do such a thing but maybe it was for a good reason. She spoke. "Hi, I'm Maureen, but I'm sure Marky already told you that." She said with a fake smile. I decided to have a bit of fun with this. I casually leaned back against the wall as I spoke. "Yep, he told me all about you. How you broke his heart. Your protests. Those things." I said as if I was talking about the weather. I knew I struck a nerve when Maureen lightly flinched as everyone behind her watched this battle in amazement. I could tell no one had ever talked to Maureen like this. "I'm Delevonta, but most people call me Del because if you call me Delevonta you die." I continued, letting the words roll off my tongue. I heard a click and looked down to find Mark's camera on the floor, sitting in a position that showed me. I then realized that the camera mostly likely caught that little kiss me and Mark had. That's embarrassing. I quickly reached down and turned off the camera so that Mark didn't lose anymore battery. Then Maureen said the six words that made me lose all control. "Mark just wants a f*** buddy anyway." I put the camera down before stalking over to Maureen.

_Third Person POV_

Del stalked over to Maureen with a fire burning in her eyes. Angel saw this and immediately stepped back. She only saw Del this mad one other time and that was in senior year. Someone had insulted her, similar to what Maureen just said. That person was put in the hospital for two weeks and had to go through physical therapy just to be able to walk again. Del cracked her knuckles still glaring at Maureen, who looked like she regretted saying what she did. Mimi immediately ran forward and held Del back so that she wouldn't kill Maureen. Angel took her other arm. Del just continued to send the most violent vibes to Maureen she could with out blowing her top. Then Mark came in.

He took in Maureen's scared face, Del's ready-to-kill face, Angel and Mimi holding Del back and Roger and Collins standing behind Maureen ready to get Del off of her if necessary. He decided to take care of Del first. He went straight towards her before he stood before her. Her eyes bypassed him and still bored into Maureen. He didn't know why, but he felt the urge to kiss her. Her hair was standing on end, sparkling with anger. Her eyes burning like uncut sapphires. Yet, in the short time he had met her and seen her, she had never looked more beautiful. So, for once, he went with his instinct and kissed her. It wasn't more than a brush of the lips, but, somehow, it calmed Del down. She went limp in the two girls' arms. Mark himself felt like he was high on drugs. This feeling, so sudden…so new, neither of them knew what it was, but it felt like the clouds had faded and all that was left was sunshine and roses.

None of them saw the startling blue eyes watching this from the safety of the fire escape.

**End Chapter. Please review. I'm on my knees here! Also the kiss stuff is actually a very important part!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Next thanks to lynx panther for reviewing 1-3 and Maureen Elphaba Thropp for reviewing 1. **

_Two Hours Later_

"…I have never streaked through Central Park." Del proclaimed as she took a shot of the whiskey. She threw the bottle to Collins, who also took a drink. Mark signaled for it to be thrown to him. Del looked to him when he took a shot. "When did you do that?"

"Let's just say it's not a good idea for me to be drunk and around these guys." Mark said. The rest of the group smiled evilly at the memory. Maureen got an idea.

"Hey, Del, you want to see the video we made of that night?" She said as she rummaged through her bag.

"No, she doesn't." Mark said frantically.

"Yes, I do." Del said. Maureen finally found the video that she kept in her bag.

"You keep that video in your bag?" Roger asked.

"You never know when you might get the chance to humiliate Mark." Maureen said as she put it in the VCR. Mark put his head in his hands as the video started.

As the video ended with Mark waking up to a terrible hangover, the group is in tears with laughter. Even Del could hear faint chuckling from Mark's curled up form though it was very faint. She looked up at the clock to find it being already 10:45. "S***."

"Sheesh, this girl's got a potty mouth." Roger said.

"Sorry, it's just my apartment tenant is super strict. She doesn't like anyone coming in after 11. She once locked out a pregnant girl in labor because she came in at 11:01. That kid was born literally on the street." Del yelled as she desperately tried to find her bag.

"Wow. And we thought Benny was bad." Collins said as he held Del's tote bag in his hand for her to grab. Her tote bag had pictures from every Broadway musical known to man. Legally Blonde, Wicked, Lease, Aida, and so many more. She ran to it and quickly swung it over her shoulder. She stopped fast at the door when she saw the only light was the moon. Memories of the past flooded her mind. _"STOP! PLEASE! IT HURTS!" Slap. "Shut up!" Tears coursed down her face, illuminated by the moon flooding from her open window._ "I can't go out there alone." She said as she shivered from the memory. Mark immediately got up as did Angel.

"Are you ok?" Mark asked, concerned.

"Yeah…you know…New York muggings you know…I just couldn't…please walk me?" Del asked.

"Sure, hey Angel come with? You know I'm not exactly the best protection for the female persuasion." Mark said. Roger gave him a strange look as did everyone else. "What! I can be smart. Though that's more of Collins thing then mine." Mark continued. "So Angel? Coming? Not? Huh?" Mark asked.

"Go Angel, those two need a chaperone." Roger said jokingly. Mark turned to Del.

"Hey Del, you got something in your bag that I can throw at Roger?" Mark asked. Del looked in her bag before finding something.

"I have a pen." Del said as she held up the blue pen.

"That'll do." With that Mark took the pen and chucked it at Roger with surprisingly good aim. It hit Roger right in the forehead. Roger faked horrible pain.

"OW! Dude when did you get so strong! And had decent aim!" He yelled.

"We can argue about this later, right now, Del needs to get home." Mark said as he opened the door to the cold New York air. Del walked out with Mark and Angel behind her. As the door closed, Mark went forward and took Del's hand affectionately. Del looked over at him and smiled briefly before continuing to lead the group towards Avenue C.

They stopped in front of an old hotel. "Well this is it." Del said as she went towards the revolving door. She went through to the sound of creaking. Mark followed as Angel stood in the lobby. Del bypassed the elevator that had a sign that said, "Will be repaired." And in a smaller script, "Sometime." She started to walk up the steps until she stopped at one of the doors that had above it a sign that said, "G." It was hanging by one screw. Del walked through as did Mark. "Don't slam the door." Del said. It slammed to the sound of metal hitting the tile floor. "Dammit." Del swore as she made her way to her room. She went down the hall until she stopped at her door. The door itself stood out tremendously. It was a normal white but had different colored paint splattered on it. It had a shiny knocker in the shape of a witch's hat with a 14 in the middle and a door-length window down the left side.

"Interesting…door." Mark said, not exactly sure how to respond to it.

"Thanks! When I'm not taking pictures I do stuff like this." Del explained as she pulled out her key. "Old Ms. Marson. She doesn't like me much. And the feeling is mutual." She went in before going to her security system. She punched in the code while humming something. "Hm. Himmm. Him. Humm." She hummed. The security box beeped confirmation and shut off.

"What were you humming?" Mark asked as he looked around, feeling out of place. Del went to another room, not answering his question. Everywhere he looked he saw another thing that defined Del. On the wall was a painting of a single swing at a playground. Her couch was a subtle purple. An old antenna TV sat on a lime green table. An ancient jukebox sat next to it. Mark was curious so he went up to it to look at it. He found that it was actually for radios. He attempted to turn it on when a spark flew from the knob next to his. He drew his hand back as he heard Del come up from behind him. "It was part of a song from the musical Wicked. I needed to have a code that I would remember and since I'm an Ozhead…it worked."

Mark nodded in understanding, remembering Angel's Wicked obsession when she saw it. He heard For Good so many times that he once threatened to destroy her CD if she played it one more time. He hadn't heard it since. Though he had heard As Long As Your Mine floating from Angel and Collin's room some nights ago…he ignored it. "That thing worked once, it just doesn't now. I was going to call someone later." Del said as she knelt beside Mark. She had changed into a pair of bleached sweats and a long-sleeved collared shirt. It was very loose on her, but Mark could still see the faint lines of a bra. Not that he was looking…he was trying to be a gentleman.

"I think I might be able to fix it." Mark said as he went behind the jukebox. He opened the panel to find a small box of wires. He saw that one of them was tangled in another one. Mark gently guided it back to its required spot as the jukebox sprang to life. Tango music filled the air. Mark replaced the panel before going around the jukebox back into the center of the room. He saw Del lightly dancing with herself to the music. He summoned his long-forgotten tango lessons and his brief dance with Joanne before joining Del on the impromptu dance floor.

They danced. They didn't say a word, for all was said by their constant eye contact through their dance. They didn't see Angel peering through the window. They didn't hear the door open to all of Del's neighbors ready to yell about the noise but falling short when watching them dance. The only thing that changed was the music and even then their dancing stayed the same. The music accompanied them, they didn't accompany the music.

Soon the smooth voice of talk radio replaced the music. Mark and Del finally came down from their cloud and into reality. Del blushed hard when she saw all her neighbors standing there. Mark blushed when he saw Angel staring at him, clearly proud. Del turned off the radio before turning back to Mark. "Well, thanks for fixing my radio. You're a really good dancer." Del said, telling the crowd to leave with her eyes. They dispersed but not without talking and grumbling amongst themselves.

"Thanks, you're really good too…I mean dancing…I didn't mean like…good night." Mark said, desperately trying to correct himself before he sounded like a prud. He motioned for Angel to move so that they could have a bit of privacy. Angel slipped away with a knowing smile.

"Good night." Del responded.

"Uh…do you wanna…maybe…catch a movie…tomorrow?" Mark said, feeling like the AV geek asking the cheerleader to prom.

"I would love too." Del said with an easy smile.

"Cool! Uh…I will call you…do you screen your calls?"

"Yes I do." Del answered. They quickly traded phone numbers before going back to square one.

"Good night." Del said as they walked towards the door.

"Good night, I'll see you tomorrow." Mark said. Mark kissed her forehead before going out the door. The second the door closed, Mark stopped and thought about what just happened. "I have a date tomorrow…_I_ have a date tomorrow…I HAVE A DATE TOMORROW YES!" Mark said as he punched the sky. The door opened again. "Mark?" Del said from inside.

"Yeah?"

"I can still see you." Del told him.

"Night." Mark said as he blushed.

"Goodnight Mark." Del said before going back in. Mark made sure he went down the stairs and into the lobby before jumping in the air with glee. Fourteen floors above, Del did the same thing.

**End Chapter. Please review. Give me your opinions. Tell me if I should throw this away or keep it going.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is the next chapter.**

Mark woke up the next morning in a good mood. He quickly got up and pulled on a dark blue collared shirt and his sweater before pulling on some jeans and his tennis shoes. He'd have to get some more duct tape at the store to patch up that hole in the toe. As he wrapped his scarf around his neck he pulled on his glasses and walked out the door. He went to the small kitchenette before pushing a piece of bread into the out-dated toaster. He pulled out some peanut butter and a butter knife as the toast popped out. He quickly spread the peanut butter over the toast before folding it up hot-dog style and popping it into his mouth. As he chewed he banged on both of his roommate's doors, waking them and their significant others. He walked out the door to the normal sound of them cursing his name. He patted his pockets to make sure he had everything. _Wallet? Check. Key? Check. Lunch?…oh well I'll get it later._ Mark thought as he walked to his bike. He threw his leg over the seat before speeding down the sidewalk.

* * *

On Avenue C, in room 14G, Del woke up feeling like she could fly. She finally knew what her best friend talked about when she described the feeling of airlessness when your around your boyfriend. _Is Mark my boyfriend? Well…he did kiss me. And we danced. And he kissed my forehead before leaving, a good trademark I might add. So yeah, I think I'm his girlfriend. I'll have to ask him tonight. _Del continued to ponder her relationship as she pulled on a light purple sweater and some dark jeans. _I wonder what movie we'll see tonight. I'm sure he already has the perfect plan. Maybe we'll get to get a bite to eat before going to the movies. They always go overboard with the butter. _Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone yell her name from down on the sidewalk. She went to her window to find Mark standing there, with his bike beside him. "HEY DEL?"

"YEAH?" Del yelled down.

"PICK YOU UP AT SIX! WE'LL PROBABLY GET A BITE TO EAT BEFORE HEADING TO THE THEATER! KAY?"

"ALRIGHT! SEE YOU THEN!"

"ALRIGHT! GOT TO GET GOING! GOT WORK!" With that Mark threw his leg over his bike seat and sped down the sidewalk with the biggest smile Del had ever seen. She even heard him give a yelp of joy as he jumped a pothole even though he had to stop to fix his glasses before speeding off around the corner. Del leaned against the windowsill with a stupid smile on her face. "He's all that and he has a job." Del mini-squealed with joy.

Mark laughed insanely as he made his way to Buzzline. He may have hated the faculty, and his boss, and the job itself, but the pay, the pay was too good to refuse. He was very happy that today was also pay-day. He would give Del the type of date a woman like her deserved. He went through a checklist as he chained up his bike. _Let's see. I'll need to stop at the store and get some food for the next month. Keep half of it for the date. Maybe I can even squeeze in a nice flower. Del doesn't seem like the type of girl who likes roses. Maybe a poppy or a lily. I think there's a vendor who sells some nice flowers around here. I'll have to check. Then be sure I get a reservation at the Life. And that manager thought that I was just a stupid artist with no manners. In your face. I guess I'll have to look at the paper to see what movies are out. How ironic, the filmmaker doesn't know what movies are out. Well still, it's not that hard to find out- _"Hey Cohen!" One of the other workers yelled. This was Walter, one of the biggest and stupidest workers here. He only got here about two weeks ago but he was already under everyone's skin. Under Mark's breath he muttered, "See how the giant chimpanzee attempts to get up from his chair, having trouble because of his large size." Some of the workers around him chuckled at his narration. Walter amazingly got up and began to wobble towards him. "See how he walks like a heavily pregnant woman." One of the workers snorted, trying to keep in their laughter. They composed themselves when Walter looked at them. "What are you going to do tonight? Play wit your wittle camewa?" Walter baby-talked.

"See how he talks in his native language." More laughter came all though Walter didn't hear what Mark said. All he saw was the sparkle in Mark's eye and the smirk on his face. "Actually I have a date tonight." Mark said in normal tone. Everyone around him looked at him with awe and disbelief. Walter looked at him with a skeptical look.

"Please. Who would go on a date with you?" Walter asked.

"I ask myself the same question about you." People "ooh"'d at the burn. Walter just kept talking.

"I bet your just making this up to make it look like you aren't a helpless little wimp." Mark stood, showing all of his 5'6 over Walter's 5'4.

"Who you callin' little, pipsqueak?" Mark asked menacingly. His emerald green eyes that were all to often hidden behind his glasses bored into Walter.

"Well you're still a wimp." Walter said, trying to keep some of his dignity. Mark suddenly tackled Walter to the ground, pinning him to the floor. Walter struggled but realized that Mark was stronger than he looked.

"Who you callin' a wimp?" Mark asked again. As Alexi came into the room Mark smoothly walked away from Walter.

"Hey Cohen?" Walter asked as he got up from the floor. "Who's your date?"

"Her name's Del." To Mark's surprise, Walter smiled evilly, like he knew a dark secret about Del.

"Oh. Well you have fun with her." Mark sensed a second meaning in that statement. Then Walter walked over to Alexi who was handing out paychecks. Mark followed him before getting to work on the day's story.

* * *

Del made her way to work when a thought struck her like a car hitting a startled deer, _What the hell am I going to wear? Man, Roger's right, I do have a potty mouth. _So she swerved on the sidewalk and ran to the one person she knew would help her. Sarah.

"SARAH!" By the way she was yelling, you would think she was dying. The door slammed open to reveal Del's best friend(close second being Angel), Sarah Caldera.

"What's wrong baby girl?" Did she mention Sarah was five years older than her?

"I HAVE A DATE TONIGHT!" Sarah immediately ushered the girl into her apartment.

"You have nothing to wear do you?" Sarah asked as Del immediately made her way to the couch.

"Well, when your running from your psychopath brother you grab what you can and then get o-u-t out!" Del said. From there the conversation moved to what had actually happened between her and Mark. Del described their meeting("Who thought a scarf would bring you two together." Sarah said.), the chase scene(to which Sarah laughed), the kiss(Sarah squealed with joy), Mark's little conversation with his friends("Wow, he's really close to all of them." "I know!"), Mark walking her home and fixing her radio("Aren't you glad you didn't get that fixed?"), then him asking her out and jumping for joy outside her door("Aw!" "That's what I thought!"), then that morning and him yelling the details up to her. "And now here we are. ME FREAKING OUT!" Del said. Sarah's face lit up with an idea. She sprinted to her room, with Del close behind. She ran to her closet before beginning to pull out different clothes. She pulled out an old floral dress, with a white shrug, some light green leggings, and some black ballerina flats. She put them in a bag before ushering Del out the door. She reached and grabbed one last thing before locking the door behind her.

At Del's loft, Del tried on the clothes and looked at herself in the mirror. "Sarah, you. Are. A. Genius. It's casual, yet nice enough for a date!"

"And warm too." Sarah added. "And the final touch." Sarah pulled out a black rose hairpin. She put in Del's hair before stepping back to admire her handiwork. "Del, look at yourself. You're beautiful." Sarah said as she motioned to the mirror.

Del didn't even point out the Wicked reference. She was ready to jump-start this relationship.

She hoped Mark was ready too.

**End Chapter. The date is next!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews. And now I will answer some of my reviews!**

**Lynxz: All will be explained in later chapters. Also I'm excited too!**

**No1mournsthephantom: One)Awesome penname! Two) I had a lot of fun writing that. It's one of my favorite parts in this story so far.**

**MusicalLife17: Yeah Del is basically my alter-ego/muse. And its okay everyone has bad days. Feel free to vent to me via PM.**

**And now on with the chapter! Also this will be my last chapter in anything until I get back from New Orleans and the LCMS National Youth Gathering on Wednesday. **

"January 24, 5:45 PM, Eastern Standard Time, Mark is currently running around the loft, desperately trying to get ready for his first date since Maureen, even though he's been ready since he got home. Let's see if anyone can get out of this alive." Roger narrated as he filmed Mark looking for something.

"WHERE'S MY SCARF!" Mark yelled as he ran around the small living room, where Collins and Angel were sitting, watching Mark. Angel stood up before catching Mark by his shoulders and slapping him across the face.

"Marky, honey, relax. Your scarf is around your neck, like it always is. Your hair is in the blob it always is in. Your glasses are on, because you haven't run into the wall yet. Your clothes look fine, because I helped you with them, now you sit and wait till 5:50, then you can go pick up Del. Okay?" Angel said as she forcefully sat Mark on the couch. Mark moved to say something, but Angel silenced him with a glare. Mark curled into a ball and watched the clock, waiting for it to say 5:50. He began to bite his thumbnail until Angel smacked it away from his mouth.

* * *

In 14G, Del was hyperventilating as Sarah read a magazine. "He's not gonna show, he's not gonna show, what was I thinking! A guy like him won't show." Del continued to say as she paced and hyperventilated. Sarah slowly got up before slapping Del, making her breath properly. "Thanks I needed that." Del said. "Oh man I forgot my purse." Del ran upstairs as the door rang. "SARAH CAN YOU GET THAT FOR ME?" Sarah went to the door to find Mark in a dark blue collared shirt, some dark jeans, and his duct-taped shoes. _At least he tried._ Sarah thought as she led Mark in. "Hi, I'm Del's best friend, Sarah."

"Cool! I'm Del's…boyfriend." _Yeah, boyfriend, that sounds right._ Mark said and thought the last part to himself. A small clearing of the throat alerted Mark of another person's entrance. Mark forced himself not to drool. Del looked amazing, like the nature goddess, in that dress. Mark cleared the fog away from his glasses with his shirt before standing up and going to Del. "You look beautiful." Mark complimented, earning a blush from Del and an approving nod from Sarah.

"Thanks, you look nice too." Del said, trying to get her flaming cheeks under control.

"Thanks, uh…shall we go?" Mark asked as he put his arm out for her to take.

"Sure." Del latched onto his arm before walking out the door to Sarah yelling, "Have her back by 11."

"Thanks _Mom._" Del said jokingly.

With that they made their way to the Life, enjoying the beautiful skyline of alive buildings and each others company. They also began a game of 20 questions. By the time they got to the Life, they were only on Question 5 because both of them had the habit to ramble. It was Del's turn. "Okay…favorite color."

"Blue." Mark said automatically.

"Why blue?"

"Because…oh you are going to find this so corny." Mark said as he blushed. _Man, he is so cute when he blushes._ Del thought.

"No I won't."

"Okay, I'll say it, my favorite color is blue, because it matches your eyes. There I said, go ahead and say that it's corny." Mark said as he put his head in his hands.

"No, it's not corny, I find it sweet." Del said as she gently peeled Mark's hands away from his face. Mark still looked down, but Del could still see a faint smile at her not-rejection.

"Okay, same question to you." Del gently pushed Mark's chin up so that she could look in his eyes. Time momentarily stopped as Del got lost in his eyes as did he. Time came back when they heard the waiter coming with their food. The young adults blushed simultaneously at their moment before beginning to eat.

Del had a miso soup while Mark went for the tofu dog platter. They ate quickly before paying. The manager fainted when he saw that Mark actually paid for the food. Mark just chuckled as he grabbed his jacket and they went out the door. They made their way towards the dollar theater, before debating on what they should see. "Why not Back to the Future: Part 2?" Mark asked as he looked at the board.

"Okay, I'm a big fan of Back to the Future." Del said as Mark paid for the tickets. They went in and quickly found seats. Soon the theater was full and the movie began.

As the movie progressed, the two reached for the popcorn at the same time, resulting in their hands lightly touching. Mark jerked his away, feeling embarrassed yet again. Del reached for his hand in the darkness and found it before holding it. Anytime he tried to take it away, she simply squeezed it, making Mark keep his hand there through the rest of the movie.

As the lights came back on, the two stretched from sitting before making their way out of the theater and into the night-time air. Del shivered and pulled her shrug tighter over her shoulders. Mark noticed this before taking off his jacket and putting it on her shoulders and putting his own arm around her, to contribute a bit of body heat. She snuggled closer to him as they continued to walk. All too soon Del's apartment door was in front of them.

Del reluctantly took off Mark's jacket and gave it back to him before pulling out her key and unlocking her door. "I had a really good time tonight."

"So did I. I'll call you, okay?"

"Sounds great. Night Mark."

"Good night angel- I mean Del. Del." Mark said, thoroughly embarrassed. Del chuckled at Mark's embarrassment before stealing a kiss. She went through her door and was about to close it before saying, "Good night my sweet."

Mark yet again, jumped in the air with joy.

On the other side of the door, so did Del.

**End Chapter. See ya'll in a week!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here is the next chapter. Also I'm going to reveal the big dark secret about Del probably next chapter so you probably need to review and tell me your theories. OK here we go with this one.**

"April 24th, 9 AM, its been exactly three months since Del and Mark met. And they've been inseparable ever since. Mark is currently laying out on the couch, writing something in his notebook. Del is at work at a vendor for selling home-made hats. And I am now going to go talk to Mark." Angel said as she put the camera down before making her way over to the couch. She pushed Mark's legs away from one of the cushions before sitting Indian-style down herself. Mark repositioned himself without even looking up from his furiously writing pen. "So, you already go to the Tree?" Angel asked. This made Mark look up. He just smiled and nodded before going back to his notebook. "You think you're going to last?"

"Yeah. I think we are."

"When you gonna show 'er?"

"Tonight." Mark said as he got up. "We got any chips around?" Mark asked. Angel just rolled her eyes before joining Mark in his quest for the chips.

* * *

"April 24th, 7 PM, I'm going to go pick up Del. Show her the tradition that dates back to April. And hope that she feels the same way." Mark narrated as he filmed his movement to Del's apartment. He put his camera back in his satchel before knocking on Del's door.

"One second!" Del called. She quickly pulled on her tennis shoes before opening the door. "Hey Mark." Del said as she closed the door behind her. "Where are we off to?" She asked as they made their way down the staircase.

"It's a surprise." Mark said with a distinct twinkle in his eye. He hailed a taxi before whispering their destination in the driver's ear and handing him a twenty. The driver just smiled at him before nodding. Mark sat back in the seat like nothing unusual had happened. Del gave him a curious look which he responded to with a look that said, "You have to wait and see." Soon the two came across Central Park. Mark thanked the driver and got out of the cab, with Del in tow. The sunset cast him in an array of reds, oranges, and pinks, making him look like a god in Del's eyes. She sneakily took out her camera before taking a snapshot of Mark's turned back. She put it back in her bag as he turned to look at her. She put on a look of pure innocence, though he saw right through it. He didn't even ask. He just took her hand and led her down the pathway. They passed several horse drawn carriages and Mark waved to all of the drivers, who in turn responded with a wave. "I come here a lot to think." Mark said when Del gave him a curious look. Del went through the calculations before realizing that Mark would have used the extra money that he got from his second job at a local Starbucks. Again, he hated it, but it gave him a bit of extra money to help pay for his friends' AZT.

She accidentally bumped into him as he stopped short while she was still thinking. "This is why I do not let you go off in your thoughts." Mark said as he tapped her nose gently. Del smiled, embarrassed. She looked around only to find a tall oak tree in front of them. He gently pushed her forward so she could get a closer look. On the tree, there were an array of crudely made hearts filled with the initials of different people. In one there was R.D. and A.E., in another there was M.J. and M.C., in some more recent ones there was M.J. and J.J., T.C. and A.S., R.D. and M.M. Mark suddenly swung himself up onto the lower tree branches. He lowered his hand for Del to grab before hoisting her up also. He maneuvered them so that they now faced another small heart. In it, it had M.C. and D.C. Del was gob smacked. The detail Mark had put into the heart was something that should have been in a museum. He had tried to do cursive on Del's name which he had succeeded very well at. He didn't even try to do it with his own, which showed his love for her even more. Del did the only thing she could think of. She kissed him hard on the lips, making him loose his balance and sending them both to the ground below with a thump. Del had landed on Mark's chest while Mark landed on his back. There was a single moment of silence before both of them bust out laughing. "We just fell out of a tree!" Del said between her laughter. Mark just threw his head back and laughed harder. Eventually both of them relaxed and Mark chuckled as he looked to the sky.

"Why is it that every time I do that I fall out of a tree?"

"You fall out of a tree often?"

"Well, the first time I carved for Maureen I fell, when I carved earlier today I fell, and now I fell with you. So yeah, I think I'm cursed." Del just chuckled before setting her chin on Mark's chest to look at his face.

"Yeah, I think your cursed too." Mark gently nudged her in the ribs, making her jump in pain. She clutched her hand to her rib as she sat up, grimacing in pain as she felt the stitches undo themselves. The side of her t-shirt soon became drenched in blood.

Mark quickly picked her up bridal-style before running to the nearest hospital, cursing his curse for falling out of trees.

**End Chapter. Nawlins was amazing! 25,000 Lutheran teens! In one town!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here is a little filler chapter because my favorite reviewers haven't reviewed yet/given their ideas! I live for your opinions! Seriously! So please review! Tell me if I suck! Tell me if Del is a Mary-Sue! Tell me I should give up writing forever! Anything! Ok groveling over. Story start! **

A month had passed since the incident. The doctor's words still rang in Mark's mind, "If you hadn't moved as fast as you could with your spinney legs, she could have died from blood-loss. What'd she do, fall out of a tree? With a crash like that, she had to of." He hadn't said anything, but looked around the room sheepishly. "Of course, if someone were to catch her it still would have had the same results." Mark considerably relaxed at this. For a moment, he thought he had betrayed Del by not protecting her better. "Those stitches were close to infected anyway. It seemed that they might have been made by a dirty knife. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" Mark was appalled. It seemed, by the doctor's tone of voice, that he blamed him! After a few choice words that Collins had the courtesy to teach him, Mark left, with a confused Del next to him.

Mark rarely got mad. The only times he ever got truly mad were when he caught Roger trying to sneak out during his withdrawal to buy smack and Benny betrayed them. Other than that, he was the rock of the group. Now he had three times in which he got mad. Well, the correct term would be protective so technically he would still have a grand total of two. Oy, he had to stop calculating stuff in his head. "May 26th, 6 PM, I don't what to do. How do I bring this up with Del? How do I get her to understand that I care and I'm worried about her? And why am I talking to my camera!" He sat back in his chair for a moment and closed his eyes. He felt someone take off his glasses and lightly kiss him on the lips. The scent of the ocean, sweat, and chamomile tea filled his senses. He lightly smiled and returned the kiss before using his hand and feeling down Del's neck and arm to where his glasses resided. He put his glasses back on before opening his eyes to look into hers. "How do you always know its me?" Del asked as she sat in the other chair.

"Your scent gives you away." Mark explained.

"My scent?"

"Yes, your uniquely wonderful scent of the ocean, sweat and chamomile tea." Mark said. "Now I have to ask you something, but you have to keep our promise of Total Trust alright?" After the incident, the two swore to give each other total trust when it came to anything in their lives. Del seemed to consider this before nodding. Mark took a deep breath before starting, "Del, I have to ask, why were your stitches almost infected? Or, better question, where are they from? I only want to help you." Del abruptly stood up.

"No you don't." Del said coldly. "The minute you know, you'll abandon me." Del said. "Just like everyone else." Mark also stood and walked slowly up to Del before gently cupping her cheek in his hand. He gently moved her face back to face him.

"If me falling out of a tree with you wasn't enough for this to be known, I guess I have to say it verbally." Mark took another breath before looking at Del straight in the eye before saying, "I love you, Del."

"AWWWW!" Someone said from outside.

"MIMI!" The others yelled as their secret place of hiding became not so secret.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Mimi said sheepishly through her hands, that covered her mouth.

"I have got to get a new set of friends!" Mark said as he turned away from Del, slightly put-off that his moment was ruined. Del just chuckled, her former coldness gone. She leaned in just enough to whisper in Mark's ear, "I love you too."

With that the camera clicked off.

**End Filler. Seriously I'm on my knees.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Ok I am sorry for my groveling session. I was tired and a little mad. Now I am properly rested and will now update and tell you Del's big secret. Well, after this it won't be a secret but…yeah. You understand.**

_The Next Day_

Del led Mark along Avenue C, weaving through the people that made up the streets. A slight tearing sound alerted Mark of his shoes falling apart again. He stopped Del and pulled out the roll of duct tape he had bought before wrapping it around the top of his shoe and down the middle before ripping it off with his teeth. He wrapped the remaining around his shoes again before shoving the tape back in his satchel. "Sorry." Mark apologized as he took Del's hand again.

"Mark, you seriously have to get some new shoes, those are falling apart." Del said as she continued walking.

"They're fine. They're comfortable to me. They'll hold out." He said as he followed her. Del rolled her eyes at Mark's nobleness.

"So when they burst into flames and they're unrecognizable you'll get new ones?" Del asked.

"Yeah, when that happens, I'll get new shoes." Mark said not knowing that Del was already wondering whether Roger would let her borrow his lighter. She made a quick turn as Mark almost fell over his feet trying to follow her. Del rolled her eyes for the second time that day as Mark redid his footing. "I did not fall." Mark said triumphantly.

"Congratulations. You deserve a trophy, but you don't get one." Del said. Mark poked her side, that wasn't stitched up, as she jumped. Mark didn't say anything, but secretly knew that Del was ticklish now. He would use that against her for sure. Del blew at her bangs as they fell in her eyes. They kept walking until they stopped at a small park with a large willow tree in it. Del went through the branches with Mark next to her. She sat Indian-style on the ground under the dangling branches and stared at them as Mark followed her lead and did the same. "Do you remember that question you asked me yesterday?" She asked softly.

"Yeah."

"Well I think its time I answered it. You have to understand that yesterday, my defensiveness got in the way of the truth. It's in my nature. Alright, you have to promise me that you will let me finish my story before you say anything alright?" Mark nodded, uncertain about what he was about to hear. "I'm not a virgin." She started.

"Half the girls who come here aren't." Mark said bluntly. Del gave him a glare, daring him to speak again. Mark shriveled at the look.

"You see, when I was eight, both my parents died in a car crash. On their will they said that any children younger than Damien would live with him. And if he wasn't old enough, then my grandparents, who lived in N'awlins, would take care of us. Well, Damien is four years older than me so he wasn't able to at the time. So we were sent down to N'awlins. I loved my grandparents so much. They had a suite at the JW Marriot so it became routine for me to just run through the streets to get food at the Walgreens or get a burger at McDonalds. Then Damien turned eighteen, legally becoming my guardian. He moved us from N'awlins to a little town in Mississippi called Hattiesburg. He got a small apartment and at first it felt like home, but soon it became a living hell for me. I was about fifteen when he first started…" Del took a deep breath before restating her sentence. "One night, I was in the small living room, when Damien came in, totally drunk. I had become used to this. Well, he marched over to me, and demanded that I…that I take…my clothes off. Well, I refused, not understanding what he was going on about. Well he…threw me on the couch and…ripped my clothes off of me…and…and…"

"Raped you." Mark finished, saying the first words since her horrible story started. He mentally reminded himself that Angel had in fact, lived in Hattiesburg when he was a teenager. She had moved to NYC to try and make a career as a drummer and from there its history.

"It gets worse." _How the hell can it get worse?_ Mark asked himself. "When he sobered up, he didn't feel sorry. He just laughed when I tried to get him to apologize. He just said, 'I'm just getting you ready for your job that you'll probably get'. And he laughed even harder at his stupid comment. Over those next three years, he continually abused me. My only safe place was with Angel and Sarah. I never told them my secret, I only hinted. Anyone I even hinted to abandoned me, so they were very small hints. When I turned eighteen, I had finally saved enough money to buy a bus ticket and get the hell out of there. Well, the night before I was to leave, Damien found my ticket. He immediately got pissed off and attacked me, hence the stitches. He attacked me with the knife he was cutting his steak with. Since Damien didn't want me to die, he got one of his friends to stitch me up, I was passed out from the pain by then anyway. The next day, Damien got on the bus with me and started whispering things he would do to me when we got to wherever the bus stopped, Well, at a pitstop in Annapolis, I was able to loose him just as the bus left with him on it and me not. I lived there til I was twenty and then I came to Alphabet City. I got my apartment and met you. Thank you for the best four months of my hell-driven life." Del finished as she broke down in tears, feeling the weight of her secret finally lift off her shoulders. Mark didn't know what to say. He had just found out that the girl he loved had been abused by her brother. He took some deep breaths to be sure he would not punch someone's lights out. The girl he loved. Abused by her brother. He clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Mark asked, desperately trying to keep his temper down.

"I trust you." Del said as her tears finally stopped flowing. She crawled over to Mark before wrapping her arms around his torso and laying her head on his shoulder. Mark repositioned himself so that his back leaned on the tree they still sat under.

In a rare moment of true and utter love, Mark began to whisper sweet nothings in Del's ear. Soon both of them fell asleep, with their heads leaning on the others, and Mark's hands laid loosely around Del's waist.

Two hours later, a drop of water fell on the tip of Mark's nose. Mark scrunched his nose up before falling back asleep. Then another drop fell on the top of Del's head. Soon more drops fell on the couple's head, making them awaken from their slumber. Mark pushed Del up and pulled himself up before going out from under the trees to find a rain storm. He heard the most melodious laugh in the world and turned to find Del spinning in the rain. Her hair was thoroughly soaked as was her clothes, accenting her pear-shaped body. He quickly pulled out his camera and filmed her, not caring that he was getting wet himself. "Why are you spinning?" Mark asked, though he thought he already knew the answer.

"BECAUSE I'M FREE! I'M FINALLY FREE!" She yelled to the heavens. She ran up to him and said softer than before, "I'm finally free. I don't have to worry about keeping my secret from you. I'm free." He had never seen a more happy face before in his life. The sparkle in Del's eye was finally unleashed. Before it was just a small glint, now it was a full blown star. There was nothing more beautiful to him at that moment. On a whim, Mark put away his camera before pulling Del into a searing kiss.

Eventually they made their way back to the loft, where they were met by an angry Roger and Mimi. "Where have you two been?" Roger asked.

"Why are you acting like an angry mother?" Mark asked back. "We are grown adults. We can make our own choices." Roger thrust a piece of paper in Mark's face.

"Because this came for you. I was curious so I opened it. I wanted to be sure you weren't _dead_." Roger said angrily, putting emphasis on the dead. Mark opened the folded piece of paper with a wary look to Del. Inside it read:

_Mark,_

_I heard that you know where Del is. Well actually you told me yourself. I am going to come pick her up soon, so just let her know for me. Thanks._

_Damien Walter Christonya_

Anyone with eyes could see the underlying threat. Give him Del or there would be hell to pay. "How did he know?" Del asked.

Mark sighed before answering, "On the day of our first date, I was hyped up with excitement and joy and…at the time I had no idea who he was and he was getting in my face so I decided to take him down a peg and tell him that I had a date. It shocked him to say the least. After…showing my true colors I told him your name. He got this weird look in his eye and said, 'You have fun with her.' Now that I know what he meant…I want to rip his guts out and tap dance on them." Mark said. You could see the steam flowing out of his ears. He walked towards the window that held the fire escape before retching it open and climbing out. He slammed it closed and climbed up the fire escape.

"I'll go after him." Del said before running to the window and climbing out also. She noticed that the rain storm had ended and there was now a misty air about New York. She climbed up the fire escape to find Mark sitting at the edge, looking at the in-between, the space between sunset and night time.

"May 27th, I don't know what the hell the time is. I just learned a secret about Del. She has gone through hell and back. It makes me sick to my stomach, to think that an angel like her, had to do all that, just to get away. And now she's in danger. And by God I promise, I'll help her survive. I promise. I promise…that I. Love. Her."

**End Chapter. Next Chapter. Tensions rise of all kinds as the Alphabet City Avante Guard learn Del's secret. And what the hell is with Maureen?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Next Chapter.**

"…and now…I'm here. And he's found me. Again. I'm probably going to have to leave soon." Del said as she finished her story to the Bohemians. Angel stood up and went to Del.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Am I not your best friend?" She asked.

"I didn't want you to…I thought that…if you found out…you would…leave me. Do you remember James?"

"You mean 11th grade James? The one who spread that rumor that you were…oh! Man, now I'm glad I put that dumba** in the hospital. And speaking of dumba**es who need some Angel whoopin', do you know where Mr. I'm-gonna-take-the-one-thing-that-Del-wants-to-truly-give-Mark lives? I'm gonna whoop him so bad…" Angel began to fume, dreaming of chainsaws and ropes destined for Damien. Collins got up and began to rub soothing circles on Angel's back.

"Relax Angelcakes, He's gonna get what's coming to him. But first we have to find him." Collins said, being the voice of reason.

"We'll have to figure this out tomorrow. It's already past midnight. Del needs to get home." Mark said. He stood up from the couch and looked to Del, holding out a hand for her. Del took it and stood before looking to Maureen, who was glaring at her.

"Can I ask why you're glaring at me?" Del asked. Maureen just turned away from her. "Apparently not. See ya'll tomorrow. We'll make plans."

"Evil plans?" Angel asked enthusiastically.

"No…I was thinking casual plans. Like what we used to do." Del said.

"Oh. You mean go roller skating then go see a chick flick?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. I'll get the deets tomorrow." Angel said.

"Sorry to interrupt your plan-making. But again, Del. Home. Need. Go. To." Mark said. He opened the door to the spring air and lead Del out the door. They went back to Del's apartment building and all to soon they were standing in front of Del's door. Mark rocked on his heels as he waited for Del to get her key. She began to dig deeper, trying to find it. "Where's my key? I know I put it in here."

That's when all hell broke loose. Del's door slammed open and two bulky guys came and clutched Mark's arms and lifted him off the ground. They carried him into the room where Damien stood triumphantly, with two other men carrying Del. They set her down in front of him. Mark continued to struggle as Damien spoke. "Hello baby sister. Miss me?" He said. Del spat in his eye. Damien wiped the spit out before continuing. "Now Del, I know Memaw taught you better. What would she think? You spitting in the eye of your kidnapper." Mark fought harder.

"NOOOOO!" He yelled. Damien swooped and picked Del up bridal-style before carrying a fighting Del out the window and down the fire-escape. "DEEEEEEEELL!"

"MAAAAARK!" Was the last thing he heard from Del, before getting hit over the head with a piece of metal, knocking him out.

_Dream/Flashback_

_Mark walked into the loft and heard the combination of a keyboard and guitar playing. "No offense Rog, but your voice doesn't work for this song. I just…it doesn't work." Mark heard. He went to Roger's room and found Del playing with her keyboard while Roger re-tuned his guitar. "Oh hey Mark. Could you do me a huge favor?"_

"_You think Mark's voice is better for this than mine?" Roger asked, offended._

"_It might. We have to try. Ok Mark, you know the song Faithfully from Queen?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_Well I re-wrote it a bit and made it into a one for a duet. But Roger's voice just doesn't give the vibe that I need. His voice is rough and…okay I'll say it sexy." Mark looked at her, offended._

"_Mark, that doesn't mean your any less sexy to me than Roger." Mark perked up a bit at the stroke to his ego._

"_But I need a voice that is sweet and innocent, and I think that you might be it." Del said. "Can you at least try? I have the music right here." Del said as she held up a piece of sheet music. She handed it to Mark and motioned for him to move it for her to see too. She began her part with her keyboard, it set to sound like a normal piano. She nodded to Mark to began when it was his turn._

_Highway run into the midnight sun  
Wheels go round and round  
You're on my mind  
Restless hearts sleep alone tonight  
Sending all my love along the wire  
They say that the road  
Ain't no place to start a family  
Right down the line it's been you and me  
And loving a music man  
Ain't always what it's supposed to be  
Oh boy  
You stand by me  
I'm forever yours  
Faithfully_

_Circus life under the big top world  
We all need the clowns to make us smile  
Oh through space and time  
(through space and time)  
Always another show  
Wondering where I am lost without you  
And being apart ain't easy on this love affair  
Two strangers learn to fall in love again  
I get the joy of rediscovering you  
Oh girl  
You stand by me  
I'm forever yours  
Faithfully  
Oh...  
__Faithfully  
I'm still yours_

_Mark- Mark. MARK!_

Mark woke up to find Angel and Collins standing over him. "W-What happened? Where's Del?" Mark asked as he sat up only to have to lay back down to a scorching headache.

"We were hoping you knew. You've been out for about two hours."

"He took her. I couldn't save her. He took her. I-I couldn't save her." Mark broke down then, still repeating his words like a mantra. Collins picked up the broken-hearted filmmaker and made his way back to the loft, listening to Mark's words all along the way.

Angel looked around the room and shook her head before following Collins' looming shadow. On Del's painting of the swing, in red spray paint it read, "What's mine is mine again."

**End Chapter. Morbid right?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Next Chapter. Sorry about the last chapter. I was in a weird mood. It is deleted so you guys can come out of hiding.**

_One Month Later_

Mark all but poured the coffee cup down his throat, trying to wake himself up. He finger-combed through his hair, to find pieces coming out. Mark went down to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. He looked up into the mirror and grabbed a comb. His eyes were bloodshot. Bags were showing prominently on his eyes. His face was gaunt and was in desperate need of a shave. If he wanted to, he could count his ribs. A yawn escaped his faded pink lips. He shook his head and made his way down the stairs and grabbed his bike before hailing a bus and making his way to Fourth Street.

Del leaned herself against the cold brick wall and let the sunlight warm her dirtied skin. She had forgotten what it felt like to take a shower or use a real toilet. The stench from the bucket Damien had given her a massive headache. The honks from the cars outside were like a lullaby to her. She felt herself drifting to sleep…

Mark rode down Fourth Street, swerving gently in sleep. The sounds of the city lulled him to sleep…

The sudden screech of cars awoke Del from her slumber. She pushed herself up to feel her heart plummet to her stomach. Mark was in the middle of the street, swerving violently. Del used her shoulder to pull the gag from her mouth. She coughed from the clean air before clearing her voice and singing to him, "_I'm forever yours/ Faithfully." _She sang.

Mark awoke to the sound of Del's singing. He realized where he was and quickly rode to the sidewalk. "GET OFF THE ROAD HIPPIE." One of the drivers yelled.

"I'm a bohemian! Get your facts straight!" Mark yelled back. The driver drove off. Mark got on his knees and looked at Del through the barred window. "Del? Is that really you?" Mark asked.

"Yeah. It's me. Are you really there? Or have I finally died?" Del asked back.

"If you died then I'm sure that I'm already dead." Mark said back. "Let's get you out of there okay?" He said. Del just nodded. Mark pulled out the pocket knife Roger had given him on his twenty-first birthday saying, "Hey if you're gonna get mugged you might as well have some sort of protection!" Roger said. Mark was amazed he still remembered that after his first legal hang-over the next day.

Mark squeezed the tip of the knife into the lock and began to wiggle the knife until he heard the reassuring sound of the lock click. He opened the door and found a sight that made him sick to his stomach. The room looked like a normal living room. A small loveseat in the middle of the room, a tv in front. It almost looked like there wasn't a twenty-four year old woman downstairs, being tortured every night. "Del? Can you hear me?" A muffled yes came from the door to the right, that could have passed for a coat closet. "Alright Del I'm going to try something really stupid." Mark called. Del was right in the middle of asking what he was talking about when he rammed his shoulder into the door breaking it open. With that, his momentum was lost and he tumbled head over heels down the stairs. He landed on his back at the foot of the stairs. "Ow. That may have been one of the stupidest things I've ever done!" Mark yelled as he stood and popped his back back into place. When he got his bearings back the smell of urine and blood bombarded his nose. He looked to Del and felt his heart taking a nose dive to his stomach. She sat on the floor, covered from head to toe with dirt and blood. Her usually perfectly straight bangs were now covering her tear stained eyes. Her body was adorned with fresh bruises, some on her back, some on her chest, some down her legs, all seemed to be from knives.

Mark walked over to her, stepping around the different things that were most likely used to torture Del. He took out the knife again and began to pick-lock the shackle on Del's leg. Del watched him with silent admiration. The shackle fell from her leg, exposing the only patch of clean skin, and soon she was able to stand, only to fall again. Her legs were weak from not moving for a month. "I-I can't move." Del said as she shook, all though it was nearing one hundred degrees. Mark stood and gently picked up Del bridal style. It was then he realized that Del didn't have anything on. He walked back up the stairs and quickly found a blanket to cover Del with. She wrapped it over her bare shoulders and chest, grateful it landed on her lower thigh. Mark went out the door that he had pick-locked. He locked it shut, so Damien could get really pissed that his sister had been saved and he was none the wiser. Mark went to his bike that he had left abandoned on the street corner. He arranged himself with Del still in the bridal-style position on his lap before beginning his journey back to the loft.

It was sunset when the two finally made it back to Avenue B. Mark parked his bike in the alley outside the loft before maneuvering Del so that she was now piggy-back on his back. Del repositioned the blanket before wrapping her arms around Mark's neck and kissing the lobe of his ear gently through the scruff of his hair. Mark walked up the stairs, before taking out his key and opening the door. Voices were heard from the kitchen. Mark got an idea on how to alert them of Del's presence. "Hey Del, can you still sing Faithfully?"

"I think that can be arranged." Del whispered into his ear, catching onto his plan.

"_Highway Run/ Into the midnight sun/ Wheels go round and round/ You're on my mind._"

"Dude don't start that again, you're already depressed enough as it is!" Roger yelled from the kitchen.

_"Restless Hearts/ Sleep alone tonight/ Sending all my love along the wire."_

Silence filled the air after Del's verse. There was quickened movement from the kitchen. Angel got to the doorway first. "Dellybear?" Angel asked, her voice breaking.

"Hey Angelpi." Del said, her own voice breaking from seeing her best friend. Mark slid Del off his back, letting her lean on him for a moment before trying to sprint towards Angel. She fell half-way there, exposing the backs of her legs that were covered with bright red lines. A look of pure pain came across her face. Angel helped her to her feet, wrapping the blanket around her. "Come on honey, we've got to get you in some clothes, and some food in you. Okay?" Angel said. Del turned to Mark.

"I want Mark to help." Del said with a look that melted Mark on the spot. He went up to her and let her lean on him. "Angel go get Del a bath and some clothes." Mark said. "I'll let her rest in my room." He continued. He let Del lean fully on him as Angel went off to get Del's bath. He walked towards his room and kicked it open before gently putting Del on the bed. Del clung to him, clutching his shirt desperately. Mark positioned himself so that Del now sat on his lap, her head on his shoulder. Her warm breath tickled his neck. Several minutes later, Angel came in and told Mark that Del's bath was ready. Mark got up and led Del to the bathroom, where her bath waited. He let her stand on her own for a moment as she stared at the bath. She let the blanket fall off her shoulders and expose her fully. Despite the odds, Mark still found her beautiful and let this thought slip out. She looked at him incredulously. She stepped into the tub and let the water soak her skin. "I'm not beautiful, I'm a whore and always will be." Del said. Mark stepped out and waited outside the door for Del to finish. He thought about her words as he waited. He should have known that Damien would fill her head with those lies. Mark blew at his bangs that had grown past his own eyes. As the door slowly opened, Mark threw himself out of his thoughts.

Del stood there, with an oversized t-shirt that was clearly Collins covering her. The t-shirt read, "Philosophy Professors Do It Better" with a picture of a TV at the bottom. Underneath were some bright blue leggings. Her hair gently tumbled down her back. She had pinned her bangs away. The moon shown on her, making her look like a goddess in Mark's eyes. She adverted her eyes when she saw that Mark was still staring at her. She cleared her throat after a few more minutes. Mark's cheeks combusted into red. "Um…you do realize I can't exactly go back to my loft." Del said.

"I know…I guess you can sleep in my room and I'll pull out the couch." Mark said easily. Del nodded at this.

"That sounds alright." With that Mark grabbed an old t-shirt and some shorts and collapsed on the couch.

Several hours later, the Bohemians were awoken by blood-curdling screams, that weren't from Mark. Mark immediately raced to his room, with the rest of the group close behind. Inside Del thrashed in the bed, the blankets in a crinkled pile at the base of it, her face one of pure agony. Mark raced to her side, and tried to get her to awaken. "Come on Del, it's okay, I'm here, wake up Del." Mark said, tears welling in his own eyes at the sight of Del in pain. "Please wake up, please, please wake up." Mark plead, gently shaking Del's shoulders.

"Kiss her." A voice said from the doorway. Mark looked up to see Maureen standing there, with hot red pajamas on. Two weeks ago, she and Joanne had gotten into another squabble. She was welcomed to the loft with open arms of course.

"Huh?"

"Kiss her. It's the only thing that will really wake her up." Maureen said.

"I don't understand, why do you want to help her?" He asked.

"I was jealous of the love that you were showing her. I realized over the past month that you truly love her, or you wouldn't look like you do now." She said as an explanation. One of Del's screams tore through the loft, "NOOOO! MARK!" She continued to thrash in Mark's arms. Mark took no hesitation after this to crash his lips onto Del's. After several minutes of respectful and secretly observing silence, the two broke apart, both with goofy grins. "So yeah, me sleeping alone…not a good idea apparently." Del sated. "Would you mind to terribly sleeping with me?"

"That could be taken so many ways." Maureen stated.

"MAUREEN! Mind out of gutter please." Mark said. "And that'd be fine." Mark continued to Del.

For the first time in a month, both parties got a perfect sleep.

**End Chapter. So yay! Del's back!**


End file.
